>> Sunday, October 8, 2017

By
Freddie Lazaro

SANTA,CRUZ , Ilocos
Sur — Government troops are pursuing New People’s Army guerillas here after a
soldier was wounded and undetermined number of rebels were reportedly injured
in an encounter at the outskirt village of Barangay Madarang, Salcedo, Ilocos
Sur shortly after noontime Sept. 16.

Before the encounter,
the soldiers were responded to the reports from residents of Barangay Madarang
who were already fed up with NPA’s extortion activities.

“Exhausted from the
repeated extortions conducted by NPA rebels in the remote area of Ilocos Sur,
the people in the community provided vital information to our troopers
regarding the location and whereabouts of said rebels; and in response, our
troops conducted intensive military operations against Platun South Ilocos Sur
(Platun SIS),” he said..

“When our troops have
reached the vicinity of Barangay Madarang, they encountered more or less 15
fully armed NPA rebels which resulted to a 30-minute gunfight,” he added.

It was also reported
that the NPA rebels were forced to scamper from the encounter site dragging
their wounded comrades after they were overpowered by pursuing soldiers.

During the clearing
operation, Osias said they recovered one M653 Rifle, two rifle grenades, three
improvised explosive devices (IEDs), one binocular, 50-meter-long wire, one
Icom radio with two chargers, documents, personal belongings and medical
paraphernalia.

He said the identity
of the wounded soldier is still withheld prior to notification of his next of
kin. His troops however are conducting relentless pursuit operation against the
escaping communist rebels while they are still determining NPA casualties based
on the traces of blood in the area.

“We are appealing to
all sectors of the society, especially to our local elected officials, to
cooperate with their government security forces. It is not just us, the Army
that will solve this insurgency, but all of us. What we are doing is not just
for ourselves but for the people of Ilocos Sur, and the Filipino people, as a
whole,” Osias said.

For his part, Major
General Angelito M. De Leon, commander of the army’s 7th Infantry Division, commended
the soldiers belonging to the 81st IB in their constant effort to defeat NPA
rebels in Ilocos Sur and also thanked the local residents of Salcedo for
cooperating with their Army.

“For almost six months
now, we have been tracking them down, monitoring their movements and making
coordination with the local residents whom they have disturbed. This is the
third encounter since July, and this is a clear manifestation that the
community is with us in ending the problem of insurgency in Ilocos Sur.”, said
Colonel Henry A. Robinson Jr., commander of the army’s 702nd Brigade.